Dreng
- Term for a lord of a small *manor, who was free except for someduties of military service; it was used primarily in Northumbria.
*Source: A Dictionary of Medieval Terms & Phrases by Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on January 27th, 2012 | No Comments »
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: A Marian Wood Book/Putnam; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0399157859
Book Description:
From the New York Times-bestselling novelist, a stunning story of a great medieval warrior-king, the accomplished and controversial son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Richard, Coeur de Lion.
They were called “The Devil’s Brood,” though never to their faces. They were the four surviving sons of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. With two such extraordinary parents, much was expected of them.
But the eldest-charming yet mercurial-would turn on his father and, like his brother Geoffrey, meet an early death. When Henry died, Richard would take the throne and, almost immediately, set off for the Holy Land. This was the Third Crusade, and it would be characterized by internecine warfare among the Christians and extraordinary campaigns against the Saracens. And, back in England, by the conniving of Richard’s youngest brother, John, to steal his crown.
In Lionheart, Sharon Kay Penman displays her remarkable mastery of historical detail and her acute understanding of human foibles. The result is a powerful story of intrigue, war, and- surprisingly-effective diplomacy, played out against the roiling conflicts of love and loyalty, passion and treachery, all set against the rich textures of the Holy Land.
Rating on Amazon: 4.5 stars (53 reviews)
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction on January 26th, 2012 | No Comments »
*Source: WriteToDone.com, guest post by David Masters
Isaac Asimov, one of the big three science fiction writers of the twentieth century, published over 500 books including novels, short story collections and non fiction, making him one of the most prolific writers of all time.
Asked by Writer’s Digest magazine for the secret to his prolific writing, Asimov said:
“I guess I’m prolific because I have a simple and straightforward style.” ~Isaac Asimov
The above article covers 9 points:
Filed under: Writing Tips, Writing Resources on January 23rd, 2012 | No Comments »
From the BBC News:
The land surrounding a mysterious ancient monument in Sherwood Forest is to be researched after a local history group received a £50,000 lottery grant.
A Thynghowe or Thing, an open-air meeting place where Vikings gathered to discuss the law, was discovered in Sherwood Forest seven years ago.
Experts surveyed the site this year and suggested the wider area be looked at.
Filed under: Vikings, Archaeology, Middle Ages History, Medieval History on January 17th, 2012 | No Comments »
Pevensey Castle:
Pevensey Castle is a medieval castle and former Roman fort at Pevensey in the English county of East Sussex…
The fort of Anderitum was built during the 3rd century to protect the southern coastline of Roman Britain from Saxon raiders…
Evidence for some form of permanent occupancy next appears in 1042, when the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Wessex, Harold Godwinson (later King Harold II) established a strong point there, improving fortifications by digging ditches within the walls of the Roman fort…
Robert, Count of Mortain (half-brother to William the Conqueror of Normandy) was granted Pevensey shortly after the Norman Conquest. Mortain used the existing fort as the basis for building a castle around 1100, carrying out only minor repairs to the walls to form an outer bailey, and building a new wooden palisaded irregular rectangular-shaped inner bailey against the Roman wall.
Additional resources:
*image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Attribution: Piotr Zarobkiewicz at en.wikipedia
Filed under: Castles, Middle Ages History, Medieval History on January 3rd, 2012 | No Comments »
Quest of the Warrior Maid: Bradamante & Ruggiero by Linda McCabe
Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: Destrier Books (June 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0983636206
Product Description:
A love foretold between sworn enemies will determine the fate of Christendom. Bradamante, the niece of Charlemagne, and Ruggiero, a Saracen knight descended from Hector of Troy, are renowned warriors who meet and fall in love on a battlefield before being separated. This tale of impossible love is set against the backdrop of a holy war between Islamic and Christian armies shown in bloody sieges in Marseille and Paris. Other legendary heroes such as Orlando and Renaud de Montauban are featured in this saga of chivalry, secret romances, betrayal, revenge, and magic. The story is adapted from the classic, but largely forgotten, epic poems “Orlando innamorato” and “Orlando furioso” written during the Italian Renaissance. Quest of the Warrior Maid should appeal to fans of Arthurian legend, medievalists, Francophiles and Italianophiles.
Quest of the Warrior Maid by Linda McCabe really captures the feeling of the old epic poems from which it is adapted. The main characters, Bradamante and Ruggiero, are strong, endearing characters that go through numerous struggles of separation and conflict in their quests for love. This story is about love at first sight between two people who cannot, on the surface, be together because of their positions in opposing armies (Islam and Christian). This religious barrier and the physical separation between the characters create constant tension that makes the story a page-turner.
Normally, it would be difficult to pull off a “love at first sight” scenario without seeming cliche, but McCabe does it well because of its basis in the epic poems. The chapters are short, with many of them ending in cliffhangers, so the entire novel reads very quickly.
Quest of the Warrior Maid is the first volume in the Bradamante and Ruggiero series.
Filed under: Book Reviews on December 28th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
King Harold II Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England (c 1022 - 14 October 1066)
Harold was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was killed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.
Harold was born in the early 1020s, the son of Godwine, Earl of Wessex. He succeeded to his father’s titles in 1053, becoming the second most powerful man in England after the monarch. He was also a focus for opposition to the growing Norman influence in England encouraged by the king, Edward (known as ‘the Confessor’ for his piety).
Read Harold’s brief biography at the BBC.
Additional reading:
Filed under: Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxons, People, Middle Ages History, Medieval History on December 27th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Filed under: Videos, Fantasy, Books and Movies on December 22nd, 2011 | No Comments »
From Fox News:
A British man rewrote medieval history on his lunch break when he unearthed evidence of a previously-unknown Viking king.
Darren Webster, a metal detector enthusiast, stopped by a field near Canforth, northern England, to practice his hobby and uncovered a hoard of silver Viking treasure buried three feet (0.9 meters) below the earth, The (London) Times reported Thursday.
Filed under: Vikings, Archaeology, Middle Ages History, Medieval History on December 16th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Filed under: George R.R. Martin, Fantasy on December 12th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
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